Orion, ntv siphoned off moneyAlready facing an acute liquidity crisis, the Oriental Bank loaned nearly Tk 380 crore to different business enterprises in 17 months till May 2006 on orders from the bank's new owner and top management,

No chance of fair polls under politicised ECLocal Consultative Group (LCG), a platform of donor agencies, yesterday held a high profile meeting with the leaders of different political parties including the ruling BNP and the main opposition Awami

&nbsp

Rags bring riches in rugsThe handloom rug of Ulipur in Kurigram is making its way into the world market, opening up great opportunities for hundreds of unemployed women in the locality.

&nbsp

Remove politically appointed judgesAppointments of judges in the country's judiciary system should be free from influence of partisan politics to ensure justice for the people, eminent citizens said yesterday at a discussion.

&nbsp

Israeli blitz kills dozensPrime Minister Fuad Siniora made a tearful plea yesterday for an end to the near four-week-old Lebanon conflict as dozens of civilians were killed in a new blitz of Israeli air strikes across the country.

&nbsp

Uncertainty as owners stick to offerWhile the garment owners are sticking to their position of offering Tk 1,300 as the minimum wage for the workers, the board formed to recommend the salary ended yesterday's meeting without reaching adecision

&nbsp

Success in democratic practices 'insignificant'Eminent citizens of the country yesterday presented a vision for achieving a realistically defined goal to meet people's legitimate expectations by 2025 through a concerted effort, terming achievements

&nbsp

Experts for efficient, accountable govtSpeakers at the 2nd expert group consultation meeting of the Nagorik Committee 2006, formed for preparing a vision paper for Bangladesh 2021, stressed the need for an efficient, accountable, transparent

Natwar files notice against ManmohanFormer foreign minister Natwar Singh filed a breach of privilege notice against Prime Minister Manmohan Singh yesterday for leakage of an inquiry commission report to the media before it could be placed

&nbsp

M-16, bullets recovered in FatikchhariRapid Action Battalion (Rab) recovered two firearms including a sophisticated M-16 rifle and 373 bullets from a remote area in Fatikchhari upazila yesterday morning.

Dengue spreads outside capitalDengue has been spreading across the country with more people hitting the hospitals after it had infected a significant number of people in the capital.

&nbsp

Garbage container left on road for three daysA wheeled garbage container of Dhaka City Corporation (DCC) filled with garbage lay parked on a busy road for the last three days in the Farmgate area of the capital smelling horribly foul and causing

&nbsp

Bimstec FMs to meet in Delhi tomorrowForeign Ministers of Bimstec countries will meet in New Delhi tomorrow to finalise the agenda of the second regional summit to be held in the Indian capital in February next year.

13 JCD men denied bailA Dhaka court yesterday rejected bail petitions of all 13 Jatiyatabadi Chhatra Dal (JCD) activists who were arrested on charge of creating obstacles to participants in a tender at the Construction Maintenance

Sylhet speedy tribunal runs out of casesThe Sylhet Divisional Speedy Trial Tribunal is about to run out of cases, as only two cases are now under trial there which are expected to be disposed of within this month.

&nbsp

4 killed in Savar road accidentFour people died and 30 others were injured when a bus crashed into a roadside tree at Dhamrai Bus Stand under Savar upazila yesterday morning.

&nbsp

Lanka launches fresh attacks on TigersSri Lankan troops launched fresh artillery attacks against Tamil rebel positions yesterday, a day after the guerrillas warned that shelling could lead to all-out war, military officials said.

Nepal peace talks stall on monarchyNepal's Maoists said yesterday that a ceasefire and peace talks with the government were headed towards collapse over the future of the monarchy and warned of a return to war.

Micro-finance regulatory law comes under fireGrassroots level micro-credit practitioners at a regional workshop in Dhaka yesterday came down heavily on the government's newly introduced 'Bangladesh Micro-Finance Regulatory Authority Law'.

&nbsp

RMG makers seek solution to problems at Ctg portApparel manufacturers yesterday demanded the government to solve the problems at Chittagong seaport, including scrapping the congestion surcharge being exacted by feeder-vessel operators in disregardof

Global IT giants to invest over $15b in IndiaIt's raining dollars for the Indian IT sector with global giants like Microsoft, IBM and Intel announcing investments to the tune of over USD 15 billion (nearly Rs 70,000 crore) and thousands of new jobs

Premier Bank Launches CMS bankingPremier Bank Ltd has launched CMS (card message service) banking to dispel the difference between time and place in carrying out transactions with the bank, says a press release.

&nbsp

New oil, gas deposits discovered in MyanmarSigns of new oil and gas deposits have been discovered off Myanmar's coast, the Myanmar Times newspaper reported Monday, raising the prospect of further foreign investment in the military-run country.

Kuwait pledges $300m to Islamic poverty fundOil-rich Kuwait decided on Sunday to give 300 million dollars to a poverty fund set up by the Islamic Development Bank (IDB) to help poor Muslim nations, the state KUNA news agency reported.

&nbsp

China's textile exports to EU, US dropThe growth rate of China's textiles and apparel exports to the European Union and the United States dropped 45 and 70 percentage points respectively year on year, according to a report prepared by the

Football:Booters' mission startsBangladesh under-23 football captain Feroz Mahmud Titu hoped his side's performance at the 10th SA Games in Colombo would be better than the last edition in Islamabad.

&nbsp

Cricket:Tigers Kenya-boundAfter a heartbreaking Zimbabwe trip, Bangladesh cricket team flew for Nairobi yesterday to complete the second part of their African safari.

&nbsp

Cricket:2nd Test on a knife-edgeSkipper Mahela Jayawardene and veteran Sanath Jayasuriya hit aggressive half-centuries to push Sri Lanka closer to a remarkable victory in the second Test against South Africa here on Monday.

&nbsp

Rubel to carry Bangladesh flagSouth Asian Games gold medallist swimmer Rubel Rana has been chosen by the Bangladesh Olympic Association to carry the national flag at the opening ceremony of the 10th SA Games.

&nbsp

Cricket:BCB submits preliminary squadBangladesh Cricket Board (BCB) has sent a 30-member preliminary squad to International Cricket Council (ICC) yesterday for the upcoming ICC Champions Trophy to be held in October-November in India.

&nbsp

Cricket:Strauss ton & Pak fightbackEngland captain Andrew Strauss scored his second century of the series against Pakistan but his exit to the last ball before tea left the third Test finely balanced on Monday's fourth day here at Headingley.

&nbsp

Cricket:No hard feelings: YounisYounis Khan was all smiles despite being involved in a run-out with Pakistan captain Inzamamul Haq on the third day of the third Test against England at Headingley here Saturday.

Football:Ronaldo rests as Real travelReal Madrid's on-field summer marketing operation swung into action Monday as the nine-times European champions headed out to the United States for two friendlies in Seattle and Salt Lake City.

&nbsp

Football:Giants fight for the big leagueThe long road to Champions League glory begins for some of the most famous names in European football Tuesday as the final qualifying rounds of the world's most prestigious club competition kicks off.

&nbsp

Cricket:Enough time for S AfricaWork on three of South Africa's new stadiums for the 2010 soccer World Cup can be completed in three years, though such a tight timetable would not have been feasible in bureaucratic Germany, says a German

&nbsp

Cricket:India plan foreign inflowIndian cricket officials say they are keen to bring in foreign players in order to add a touch of glamour to otherwise dull domestic tournaments.

&nbsp

Tennis:Arnaud's first away titleArnaud Clement won his first ATP title outside his native France, defeating blister-bothered British eighth seed Andy Murray 7-6, 6-2 here Sunday in the Washington Classic final.

&nbsp

Cricket:Aussies name initial squadAustralia Monday announced an initial 30-man squad for the ICC Champions Trophy in India in October. Selectors will reduce the squad to 14 on September 7 in line with ICC regulations.

&nbsp

Cricket:X-ray clears InzamamInzamamul Haq was still suffering chest pain after an X-ray Monday cleared the Pakistan captain of a major injury.

&nbsp

Football:Gravesen axed from US tourMidfielder Thomas Gravesen and defender Carlos Diogo head the list of players expected to leave Real Madrid after they were left out of the squad for the club's tour of the United States.

&nbsp

Football:Robson released from hospitalFormer England manager Sir Bobby Robson was released from hospital on Monday, two days after falling ill whilst watching his former club Ipswich Town's season-opening game.

&nbsp

Football:Two games, two countries, same day!Guadalajara, Mexico's most popular club, played two games in different countries on Sunday with coach Jose Manuel de la Torre in charge of the team at both.

&nbsp

Cricket:Pak WC stadium plan hits snagPlans by the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) to construct a stadium in Islamabad for the 2011 World Cup have run into problems, a board official said on Monday.

&nbsp

Cricket:Warne told to attend campShane Warne has been told by Cricket Australia that he must attend a pre-season camp in the Queensland bush later this month.

&nbsp

Chess:Kramnik clinches Dortmund titleRussia's Vladimir Kramnik won the Dortmund chess tournament for the seventh time on Sunday, one month before his showdown against Bulgaria's Veselin Topalov to reclaim the unified world title.

Football:Crespo back to InterChelsea's Argentine international striker Hernan Crespo has signed a two-year deal with Serie A side Inter Milan, the Italian club confirmed Monday.

&nbsp

Cricket:Inquest into Cronje's death onA South African court Monday began hearing evidence on whether anyone was criminally liable for a 2002 plane crash which killed disgraced former national cricket captain Hansie Cronje.

&nbsp

Football:Mellberg quits captaincyAston Villa defender Olof Mellberg is to quit as Sweden skipper although he will carry on playing for his national team, the Swedish daily Expressen reported on Monday.

&nbsp

Football:'Ribery here to stay'French World Cup starlet Franck Ribery may be determined to leave Marseille but seemingly no one has told coach Albert Emon.

&nbsp

Football:Van der Meyde poisoned!Everton forward Andy van der Meyde was recovering in hospital on Monday after claims that the Netherlands international's drink had been spiked with drugs, police said.

&nbsp

Football:Veron makes winning returnEstudiantes gave former Argentina midfielder Juan Sebastian Veron a winning return on Sunday as they won 1-0 at Quilmes in the Apertura championship.

&nbsp

Football:Chivas hold BarcelonaDefender Diego Martinez scored in the 83rd minute to lift Chivas of Mexico into a 1-1 draw with European and Spanish champion FC Barcelona here Sunday in an international friendly.

&nbsp

Football:Mulee back at KenyaKenya have rehired former national coach Jacob Mulee to serve as assistant to their new French coach Bernard Lama, officials confirmed on Monday.

Face opposition politicallyPrime Minister Khaleda Zia yesterday called upon her party's field-level leaders to face the opposition's movement politically if it really took place.

&nbsp

Underprivileged children need psychosocial careFirst national level counsellors' conference on 'Psychosocial care for children and youth' began in the city yesterday to facilitate the support groups in providing psychosocial care to underprivileged

&nbsp

Govt trying to save killers of BangabandhuDemanding immediate execution of the verdict in Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman murder case, the Awami League leaders yesterday said the BNP-Jamaat government has been dillydallying over the issue only

&nbsp

Bhuiyan renews call for talksBNP Secretary General Abdul Mannan Bhuiyan yesterday renewed his call to the opposition for a dialogue to resolve problems, if any. "We think any problem can be solved through discussions in Parliament.

Myanmar citizens observe Democracy Day todayDifferent socio-cultural, professional and human rights organisations will form a human chain and hold a rally in the city today to express solidarity with the citizens of Myanmar struggling for democracy

&nbsp

Special programmes on Bangabandhu demandedJoybangla Sangskritik Oikya Jote, a platform of several cultural organisations of the main opposition Awami League (AL), yesterday submitted a memorandum to the Directors General (DGs) of Bangladesh Betar

&nbsp

4 contestants accorded receptionYouth Ending Hunger, a voluntary organisation, yesterday accorded a reception to four students who took part in the 47th International Mathematical Olympiad in Slovenia last month.

Five new police stations open in cityFive new police stations (PS) were inaugurated in the city yesterday, raising the total number of PS to 33. These are Shahbagh, Jatrabari, Tejgaon Industrial Area, Uttar Khan and Dakkhin Khan.

1,482 more heldPolice arrested 1,482 people from across the country on various charges in the last 24 hours ending at 6:00am yesterday.

&nbsp

Two killed in road accidentsAt least two people were killed and 21 others injured in separate road accidents in Gaibandha and Pabna yesterday.

&nbsp

Cases filed against 17 car ownersA special mobile court in a raid yesterday filed cases against 17 car owners and fined a total of Tk 6000 for violating Environment Preservation Act 1997, says a press release.

&nbsp

No progress in Jabbar murder casePolice yet to arrest any accused criminal in the case of Jabbar Ali, an employee of Latif Commercial Agency at Green road in the city, as of last night.

&nbsp

Conference on water issues Aug 9-10The New York based International Farakka Committee (IFC) will hold a two-day international conference on "Transboundary water issues: South Asian Cooperation" at the LGED Bhaban on August 9 and 10.

&nbsp

Teenage girl murdered in cityPolice recovered the body of a teenage girl floating in a ditch in the city's Gabtoli area yesterday. They suspect that the unidentified girl, aged about 15, was killed after rape two days ago.

BSF returns body of Bangladeshi cattle traderIndian Border Security Force (BSF) Sunday night handed over to BDR the body of a Bangladeshi cattle trader who was shot dead by the BSF on July 25 at Tarali, a bordering village in Swarupnagar thana under

&nbsp

Appeal for helpShamsul Haque, a lecturer of statistics at Satbaria Degree College, Shahzadpur, Sirajganj is now fighting for life at Dhaka Medical College Hospital (DMCH).

Immediate ceasefire is a mustTHERE has been outrage all over the world, more so in the Arab and Muslim world, as a result of Israel's undeclared war against Lebanon and excessive and savage use of military force against a country

&nbsp

Victims twice overWE are d5istressed over the raging conflict in the Middle East. Three weeks and more than 800 deaths later, the situation seems to be getting worse.

Call for peace Hiroshima Day is observed in many parts of the world with special vigils and peace marches. The day marks the US' dropping atomic bomb on the Japanese city of Hiroshima on August 6, 1945.

UN powers frustrated by ME resolution delaysThe United Nations resumes its battle yesterday to agree a call for an end to the Israel-Hezbollah conflict with key members expressing mounting frustration at the blockages to Security Council action.

Arab angers at their rulers growAs their anger against Israel and America swells, protesters across the Middle East are also increasingly venting their frustration at their Arab rulers, especially in moderate countries whose governments

Iran still plans reply to nuke incentives dealIran still plans to reply by August 22 to a big power offer of incentives to stop making nuclear fuel, an official said yesterday, but more senior politicians have already rejected the terms of the package.

&nbsp

Fresh violence in Kashmir kills 7Seven people have been killed in continuing separatist violence in Indian Kashmir but Islamic rebels freed three civilians held hostage during a stand-off with the army, police said yesterday.

&nbsp

India steps up relief efforts in flood zoneRelief workers in four Indian states stepped up efforts yesterday to reach thousands marooned by flooding following heavy monsoon rains, officials said, as another 28 people were reported killed.

Tribes stranded as India dam drowns valleyKishore Solanki picks up a rock on the banks of India's swollen Narmada river, gesturing towards land, now submerged, where once he grew enough wheat and vegetables to make a comfortable living.

&nbsp

28 more die in Indian floodsRelief workers in four Indian states stepped up efforts yesterday to reach thousands marooned by flooding following heavy monsoon rains, officials said, as another 28 people were reported killed.

&nbsp

Castro to return 'in a few weeks': CubaCuba's vice president said Sunday Fidel Castro would return to work in a few weeks after intestinal surgery that forced him to hand over power temporarily to his younger brother.

Editorial:Lawmen are to protect, not killThe ruling of the High Court on the government and some of its agencies is in fact calling to account the government's failure to protect people taken in the custody of the police and RAB.

&nbsp

Editorial:Encounter with ZimbabweThe cricketers ended their Zimbabwe tour with an emphatic eight-wicket victory in the last ODI, thanks to a brilliant century by opener Shahriar Nafees.

&nbsp

Why this volte-face?In an interview with a private television channel (ntv) on August 3, prime minister and BNP chairperson Khaleda Zia's eldest son Tarique Rahman, who is the senior joint secretary general of the BNP and

&nbsp

Nukes are a menaceSixty-one years ago the US inaugurated the nuclear age by dropping a nuclear bomb on Nagasaki. The evil nature of the Bomb is obvious.

&nbsp

Education system in chaosUnrest in education has swept across institutions, from primary schools to universities, and has kept millions of students, and hundreds of thousands of teachers out of their classrooms.

Think positive!I know I'm not going to get that job. I need to lose weight, but I can't. Everyone keeps telling me walking and exercise will help me to lose it, but I know it won't work for me. Nothing works for me.

&nbsp

Israel issueI really appreciate the views expressed by Mr. M M Haque in his letter on July 21. At the same time, I was disappointed with Mr. Minhaz Ahmed for calling me a Jew sympathiser.

&nbsp

JMB operativesThe law enforcers have done a commendable job. They have arrested a few more JMB militants.

&nbsp

Criminal casesCriminal cases are proliferating in such a way that the trying magistrates are unable to cope with. Criminal cases constitute a big source of income to the police, lawyers and peshkers.

&nbsp

PRSP and the ministerI agree with the observations of our minister, when he says, "The PRSP has been formulated in keeping with the interest of the donors, not suiting people's needs".

&nbsp

"Brick Lane" controversyRegarding your article 'Brick Lane Film Riddled With Protests' (The Daily Star 02/08/06), I must explain as a British Sylheti that Monica Ali's book 'Brick Lane' continues to court controversy amongst

&nbsp

Boucher's tripRichard Boucher visited Bangla-desh to lecture us about fighting militancy, terrorism & democracy. And our leaders, mullahs & even widows had the time to listen to Boucher's baloney.